More than 75% of US hotels remain short-staffed, survey shows
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AMID robust travel demand, the US hospitality industry will continue to struggle to attract workers this summer.
More than 75 per cent of hotels say they’re experiencing staffing shortages, according to the results of the latest survey conducted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), a hotel advocacy group with more than 32,000 members. Of those, 13 per cent say the shortage is severe. The AHLA surveyed 456 hoteliers during the week of May 16 to 24.
The results, released on Jun 10, reflect only slight improvement over the same month last year when 82 per cent indicated a staffing shortage.
“Hotels are doing all they can to attract and retain workers, but a persistent workforce shortage is preventing our industry from meeting demand from travellers and reaching its full economic potential,” said Kevin Carey, AHLA interim president and chief executive officer.
The hospitality industry added 700 employees in May 2024, but tens of thousands of hotel jobs remain available nationwide. “AHLA members need help filling open jobs so they can maintain and expand operations,” he added.
Housekeeping-curtailed significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic and somewhat limited even as travellers returned shows the greatest staffing need, according to 50 per cent of hotels the AHLA surveyed. Front desk roles come next, followed by culinary jobs.
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To overcome hiring challenges, more than 85 per cent of hotels said they have been increasing pay over the past six months, among such other perks as enhanced benefits, flexible hours and sign-on bonuses.
Since 2019, hospitality wages have grown by 32 per cent. That outpaces the national average; earnings across all sectors increased by just 25 per cent. The average hourly pay for hotel employees was US$23.76 per hour in March 2024, compared with US$17.98 per hour five years ago.
Yet the worker exodus continues: Recent analysis from the US Chamber of Commerce shows leisure and hospitality jobs have the highest quit rate of all industries, with 4.5 per cent of the workforce exiting since July 2022. That’s nearly double the attrition of the retail sector (2.3 per cent) and triple that of the financial sector (1.3 per cent).
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AHLA advocates that Congress pass a number of bills to widen the pool of workers. The proposed measures would, in part, eliminate the 66,000 cap on H-2B temporary worker visas, extend the certification period for H-2B visa holders to three years and make it easier for qualified asylum applicants to work in the US, starting 30 days after they file for asylum.
To date, more than 190,000 hotel jobs are open, according to a Jun 7 AHLA workforce report. The report cites a nationwide workforce shortage, with 8.1 million job openings in the US as at April 2023 and just 6.5 million unemployed people to fill those jobs, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLOOMBERG
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